Film clip



Sept. 18, 1956 H. J. HOOD ET AL FILM CLIP Filed Jan. 25, 1952 HOOD NOWACK EDMUND M. VAN HOESEN HENRY d. CARL F INVENTORS @2RNEYS United States Patent FILM CLIP Henry J. Hood, Carl F. Nowack and Edmund M. Van Hoesen, Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 25, 1952, Serial No. 268,294

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-153) The present invention relates to film hangers, and more particularly to hangers adapted to support and tension a film sheet, such as X-ray film, to retain the sheet in a stretched, planar relation.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved type of film engaging clip for such hangers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a type of clip of the class described, which has a pair of overlying film engaging jaws which are held against movement in opposite directions in the plane of the film and normal to the clip supporting member.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a film clip formed with clamping jaws which securely engage the film, yet are secured and positively retained in slightly spaced relation to provide adequate drainageof the photographic solutions between the jaws.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claim at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the new and improved type of clip of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of the clip illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the clip illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the new and improved clip showing one manner of connecting the clip to a support;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the film engaging jaws of the clip taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing the relation of the film and impaling members, and the arrangement for maintaining the film clamping jaws in slightly spaced parallel relation, and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 4 showing the relation of the blocking lug and the movable clip member and the mounting lug on the stationary clip member.

Similar reference numerals throughout the various views indicate the same parts.

The present invention provides a new and improved form of film clip, generally indicated by the numeral 29 and illustrated in detail in Figs. 1-6 inclusive. The new clip of the present invention is formed from a strip of spring metal and is bent upon itself to provide a pair of spaced parallel members or resilient legs 30 and 31 which are connected at one end by a resiliently curved member 32. The member 30 is formed with a laterally extending curved lug 42 to be later more fully described, which may be secured in any suitable manner to a support. Therefore, because the member 30 is secured to a support, it is designated as the stationary or fixed member. On the other hand, the member 31 is not so restrained and may be designated as the movable member.

2,763,045 Eel-sated Sept. 18, 1956 The resilient legs 30 and 31 are provided with neck portions 33 and 34, respectively, of reduced Width and arranged in a crossover relation. These crossed neck portions terminate in flat film engaging jaws 35 and 36. The result is that, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the jaw 35 of the front movable member 31 is positioned behind the jaw 36 of the rear stationary member 30. Also, referring to Fig. 1, it is apparent that the neck 34 of the movable member 31 is positioned to the right of neck.33 of the stationary member 30. This arrangement is just the reverse of that of the prior clip structure. The result is that when a force is applied in the direction X, Fig. 1, this force will tend to move the movable member 31 and its associated jaw 36 to the left relative to the fixed jaw 35. However, any such tendency to so move the parts will cause the left edge 37 of the neck 34 at the point of crossover of the neck portions to engage the right edge 38 of the stationary neck portion 33. Such engagement will efiectively arrest any movement of the neck 34 and jaw 36 to the left relative to the fixed jaw 35. The result is that the relative position of the jaw members 35 and 36 is always maintained so that the impaling pin and its cooperating recess or aperture, to be later more fully described, will never be moved out of registering relation; but, on the contrary, will always be in proper cooperating relation securely to engage and clamp the clip to the film.

In order to limit the opening movement of jaws 35 and 36, the movable member 31 is formed with a depending lug 39 of the shape best shown in Fig. 6. When the movable member 31 is pressed toward the member 30 the jaws 35 and 36 are separated or opened. This opening movement may be continued until the lower tapered edge 49 of the lug 39 finally engages the inner surface 41 of the stationary member 30 to thus arrest further movement of the members 30 and 31 and to limit the opening movement of the jaws 35 and 36, as is deemed apparent from an inspection of Fig. 6. The lug 39 is positioned on the right side or edge of the movable member 31, see Fig. 1, and adjacent the curved lug 42 which is formed from the material of the member 30 to connect the latter to its support, such as the rod 11. In order to secure positive engagement of the lug 39 with the lug 42 in all positions of the member 30, for a reason to be presently described, the curvature or shape of the lug 42 along its length may be varied. For example, at point 43, the lug 42 may have a radius of curvature equal to or substantially equal to the radius of rod 11. However, at the opposite end '44, the lug 42 is of angular shape so that the lug 42 may project slightly above the rod 11 and in the path of lug 39 in all positions of the latter as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 8.

From an inspection of Fig. 1 it is now apparent that if force is applied to the jaw 36 in the direction of Y, this force will tend to move jaw 36, member 31 and lug 39 to the right, as viewed in this figure. Such movement will bring the lug 39 into direct and positive engagement with the lug 42 or at least the elevated portion 44 thereof to prevent or limit such rightward movement of the jaw 36. The parts are so designed that engagement of the lugs 39 and 42 will occur before jaw 36 has been moved far enough to shift the impaling pin and its recess out of registering relation. Thus, the engagement of the edges 37 and 38 of the neck portions 33 and 34, will prevent relative movement of the jaws 35 and 36 in the direction X or upwardly as viewed in Fig. 1. On the other hand, engagement of lugs 39 and 42 will prevent relative movement of the jaws 35 and 36 in the opposite direction or downward as viewed in Fig. 1. Therefore, by the use of this blocking or stop means, the jaws are held against relative movement in opposite directions and are maintained in proper film clamping relation.

3 This limitation of movement is in the plane of the film and normal to the lower supporting rod 11 or to the upper supporting member to be later described. Also, the lug 39 performs two functions: (1) it limits the opening movement of the jaws 35 and 36; and (2) it prevents or limits rightward movement of the jaw 36 relative to the jaw 35, all of which is deemed apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it is seen that the impaling pin 50 is secured to the movable jaw 36 and is formed with a circular boss 51 which lies against the inner face 52 of the jaw 36 and serves to support the film sheet over only a small area and in spaced relation from said face 52. Also, the boss 51 cooperates with a flange, to be later described, to space the film sheet from the inner face 53 of the jaw 35. Thus, the film is suspended between the inner jaw surfaces. The jaw 35 is formed with a circular aperture 54 in registry with and through which the impaling pin 50 projects. The edge of the aperture 54 is turned inward to form an annular flange 55 the periphery 56 of which engages the film sheet 20 substantially along an annular line only, and cooperates with the boss 51 to hold the film sheet in spaced relation between the jaws and over a minimum area of contact, all as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. Also, the cooperating boss 51 and flange 55 serve to maintain the jaws 35 and 36 in slightly spaced parallel relation to permit free passage and drainage of the processing liquid between the jaws, so as to insure proper and adequate processing of this area of the film. Furthermore, to insure the proper spaced parallel relation of jaws 36 and 35, the latter has formed on its upper edge 57 an inwardly bent lug 58 which projects toward and is adapted to engage the inner face 52 of jaw 36 when the jaws are in closed or film clamping position, as shown in Fig. 9. Thus, lug 58 co operates with boss 51 and flange 55 to maintain the jaws 35 and 36 in a slightly spaced parallel relation, and also to provide the minimum engagement of the film sheet by the jaws.

Thus, the present invention provides a new and improved film clip which insures proper positioning of the film gripping members, engages the film over a minimum area, properly spaces the gripping jaws to insure proper distribution and drainage of the processing liquids. Also, the upper clips are retained in proper positive relation to the hanger so that the clips are yieldably supported so as to cooperate with the lower fixed clips to tension or stretch the film.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea may be carried out in a number of ways, therefore, this application is not to be limited to the precise details described but is intended to cover all variations and modifications which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

We claim: A clip for securing film to a hanger comprising a strip of spring metal bent upon itself to form a pair of spaced relatively-movable spring members connected at one end, the other ends of said spring members having reduced portions on the opposite sides thereof, said reduced portions lying side-by-side and in a crossover relation and terminating in laterally extending members urged toward each other by the resiliency of said spring members, one of said extending members having a film impaling pin, the other an aperture aligned with said pin to cooperate therewith to secure a film between said offset members, means on at least one of the opposed surfaces of said extending members to retain the latter in spaced relation with the reception of said pin in said aperture, one of said spring members having an inwardly projecting lug on the side thereof on which is positioned said reduced portion, the other of said spring members having inwardly projecting means positioned along the side thereof opposite to the side on which is positioned said reduced portion, said inwardly projecting means adapted to be fixed .to a film hanger and together with said reduced portion along the opposite side of said spring member defining a guideway for receiving therein said lug and reduced portion of the other spring member as the spring members are urged toward each other, said lug and latter reduced portion fitting said opening to preclude thereby lateral movement of the laterally ofiset members and of the said pin and aperture associated therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 72,393 Hale Dec. 17, 1867 433,691 Morrell Aug. 5, 1890 591,520 Zoeller Oct. 12, 1897 858,354 Sharpneck June 25, 1907 2,518,124 Corbett Aug. 8, 1950 2,547,151. Braeseke Apr. 3, 1951 2,617,167 Johnson Nov. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 497,839 Great Britain Dec. 28, 1938 

